Microsoft Adds Elop, Bates, Mulally, And Nadella In CEO Shortlist

Microsoft Corporation has created a short-list of successors to replace CEO Steve Ballmer, according to Reuters. The names that are in the short-list include Ford CEO Alan Mulally, former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, Microsoft Executive VP Tony Bates, and Microsoft’s enterprise head Satya Nadella. There is at least one other internal candidate being considered for the job as well.
Steve Ballmer led Microsoft for the last 13 years and announced in August that he would be retiring within a year once a replacement is found. Microsoft created a special committee to find potential candidates. At one point, Microsoft has an initial list of 40 candidates, internally and externally. Elop will be rejoining Microsoft after the $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia Corporation is completed.

Mulally has been CEO of Ford for seven years and was disinterested initially. Mulally reportedly became receptive to the idea of becoming the Microsoft CEO in recent weeks though. Bates was previously the CEO of Skype.